Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI
The present study reports alterations of task-based functional brain connectivity in a group of 11 cosmonauts after a long-duration spaceflight, compared to a healthy control group not involved in the space program. To elicit the postural and locomotor sensorimotor mechanisms that are usually most s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00761/full |
| _version_ | 1818962813925720064 |
|---|---|
| author | Ekaterina Pechenkova Inna Nosikova Alena Rumshiskaya Liudmila Litvinova Ilya Rukavishnikov Elena Mershina Valentin Sinitsyn Angelique Van Ombergen Ben Jeurissen Steven Jillings Steven Jillings Steven Laureys Jan Sijbers Alexey Grishin Ludmila Chernikova Ivan Naumov Ludmila Kornilova Floris L. Wuyts Elena Tomilovskaya Inessa Kozlovskaya |
| author_facet | Ekaterina Pechenkova Inna Nosikova Alena Rumshiskaya Liudmila Litvinova Ilya Rukavishnikov Elena Mershina Valentin Sinitsyn Angelique Van Ombergen Ben Jeurissen Steven Jillings Steven Jillings Steven Laureys Jan Sijbers Alexey Grishin Ludmila Chernikova Ivan Naumov Ludmila Kornilova Floris L. Wuyts Elena Tomilovskaya Inessa Kozlovskaya |
| author_sort | Ekaterina Pechenkova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study reports alterations of task-based functional brain connectivity in a group of 11 cosmonauts after a long-duration spaceflight, compared to a healthy control group not involved in the space program. To elicit the postural and locomotor sensorimotor mechanisms that are usually most significantly impaired when space travelers return to Earth, a plantar stimulation paradigm was used in a block design fMRI study. The motor control system activated by the plantar stimulation involved the pre-central and post-central gyri, SMA, SII/operculum, and, to a lesser degree, the insular cortex and cerebellum. While no post-flight alterations were observed in terms of activation, the network-based statistics approach revealed task-specific functional connectivity modifications within a broader set of regions involving the activation sites along with other parts of the sensorimotor neural network and the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. The most notable findings included a post-flight increase in the stimulation-specific connectivity of the right posterior supramarginal gyrus with the rest of the brain; a strengthening of connections between the left and right insulae; decreased connectivity of the vestibular nuclei, right inferior parietal cortex (BA40) and cerebellum with areas associated with motor, visual, vestibular, and proprioception functions; and decreased coupling of the cerebellum with the visual cortex and the right inferior parietal cortex. The severity of space motion sickness symptoms was found to correlate with a post- to pre-flight difference in connectivity between the right supramarginal gyrus and the left anterior insula. Due to the complex nature and rapid dynamics of adaptation to gravity alterations, the post-flight findings might be attributed to both the long-term microgravity exposure and to the readaptation to Earth’s gravity that took place between the landing and post-flight MRI session. Nevertheless, the results have implications for the multisensory reweighting and gravitational motor system theories, generating hypotheses to be tested in future research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:35:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c899d72016b4487a8441156f0f16c106 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:35:18Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c899d72016b4487a8441156f0f16c1062022-12-21T19:40:37ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2019-07-011010.3389/fphys.2019.00761446024Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRIEkaterina Pechenkova0Inna Nosikova1Alena Rumshiskaya2Liudmila Litvinova3Ilya Rukavishnikov4Elena Mershina5Valentin Sinitsyn6Angelique Van Ombergen7Ben Jeurissen8Steven Jillings9Steven Jillings10Steven Laureys11Jan Sijbers12Alexey Grishin13Ludmila Chernikova14Ivan Naumov15Ludmila Kornilova16Floris L. Wuyts17Elena Tomilovskaya18Inessa Kozlovskaya19Laboratory for Cognitive Research, Higher School of Economics, Moscow, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaRadiology Department, Federal Center of Treatment and Rehabilitation, Moscow, RussiaRadiology Department, Federal Center of Treatment and Rehabilitation, Moscow, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaMedical Research and Educational Center, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaMedical Research and Educational Center, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, RussiaLab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumiMec/Vision Lab, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumLab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumComa Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Centre, Neurology Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, BelgiumComa Science Group, GIGA Consciousness Research Centre, Neurology Department, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, BelgiumiMec/Vision Lab, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumGagarin Cosmonauts Training Center, Star City, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaLab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, Faculty of Science, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaInstitute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, RussiaThe present study reports alterations of task-based functional brain connectivity in a group of 11 cosmonauts after a long-duration spaceflight, compared to a healthy control group not involved in the space program. To elicit the postural and locomotor sensorimotor mechanisms that are usually most significantly impaired when space travelers return to Earth, a plantar stimulation paradigm was used in a block design fMRI study. The motor control system activated by the plantar stimulation involved the pre-central and post-central gyri, SMA, SII/operculum, and, to a lesser degree, the insular cortex and cerebellum. While no post-flight alterations were observed in terms of activation, the network-based statistics approach revealed task-specific functional connectivity modifications within a broader set of regions involving the activation sites along with other parts of the sensorimotor neural network and the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. The most notable findings included a post-flight increase in the stimulation-specific connectivity of the right posterior supramarginal gyrus with the rest of the brain; a strengthening of connections between the left and right insulae; decreased connectivity of the vestibular nuclei, right inferior parietal cortex (BA40) and cerebellum with areas associated with motor, visual, vestibular, and proprioception functions; and decreased coupling of the cerebellum with the visual cortex and the right inferior parietal cortex. The severity of space motion sickness symptoms was found to correlate with a post- to pre-flight difference in connectivity between the right supramarginal gyrus and the left anterior insula. Due to the complex nature and rapid dynamics of adaptation to gravity alterations, the post-flight findings might be attributed to both the long-term microgravity exposure and to the readaptation to Earth’s gravity that took place between the landing and post-flight MRI session. Nevertheless, the results have implications for the multisensory reweighting and gravitational motor system theories, generating hypotheses to be tested in future research.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00761/fullspaceflightmicrogravitycosmonautsfMRIfunctional connectivitybrain plasticity |
| spellingShingle | Ekaterina Pechenkova Inna Nosikova Alena Rumshiskaya Liudmila Litvinova Ilya Rukavishnikov Elena Mershina Valentin Sinitsyn Angelique Van Ombergen Ben Jeurissen Steven Jillings Steven Jillings Steven Laureys Jan Sijbers Alexey Grishin Ludmila Chernikova Ivan Naumov Ludmila Kornilova Floris L. Wuyts Elena Tomilovskaya Inessa Kozlovskaya Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI Frontiers in Physiology spaceflight microgravity cosmonauts fMRI functional connectivity brain plasticity |
| title | Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI |
| title_full | Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI |
| title_fullStr | Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI |
| title_short | Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI |
| title_sort | alterations of functional brain connectivity after long duration spaceflight as revealed by fmri |
| topic | spaceflight microgravity cosmonauts fMRI functional connectivity brain plasticity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2019.00761/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ekaterinapechenkova alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT innanosikova alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT alenarumshiskaya alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT liudmilalitvinova alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT ilyarukavishnikov alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT elenamershina alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT valentinsinitsyn alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT angeliquevanombergen alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT benjeurissen alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT stevenjillings alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT stevenjillings alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT stevenlaureys alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT jansijbers alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT alexeygrishin alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT ludmilachernikova alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT ivannaumov alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT ludmilakornilova alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT florislwuyts alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT elenatomilovskaya alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri AT inessakozlovskaya alterationsoffunctionalbrainconnectivityafterlongdurationspaceflightasrevealedbyfmri |